I. Field of the Invention
This invention is in the general field of games;
The invention is more particularly directed to a golfing type game;
The invention is even more particularly directed to a game which involves the use of chipping and putting portions of a golf game including means and method for causing minor undulations or variations of the surface, such as will usually be found on regular golfing turfs and putting greens.
II. Description of the Prior Art
There have been many games of various types involving golf. Such games have included special putting games and certain long full scale driving games and the like.
The present game involves a combination of short chipping golf shots and putting on simulated golf course and golf green material which may be used either indoors or outdoors. The game involves unique scoring and scoring counters. This game now includes unique and unusual means and methods for imparting undulating or irregular minor variations in the otherwise level putting surfaces thus simulating the variations which naturally exist on even the most meticulously groomed golf greens.
We know of no game combining the features of chipping and putting together with a unique scoring arrangement and surface altering feature as in our present invention, and in that sense we know of no prior art which would be applicable to this invention.
The game of golf id played throughout the world.
Many golfers are unable, either because of time, inclement weather, for reasons of economy, or otherwise, to play on a golf course as often as they would desire. At the same time such golfers do wish to practice in a convenient and economical manner. Such golfers particularly like the competitiveness of competing against other in their practice.
Two extremely important aspects of the game of golf are chipping and putting.
In order to make chip shots and in order to putt, it is generally necessary to have actual golf course conditions in order to practice of simulate the shots effectively. Most persons do not have such facilities at their home, and particularly within the home.
We have now devised a game which makes it possible to have proper competitive practice in the areas of chipping and putting. We have accomplished this by providing a series of mats of a material which closely simulates the reaction of golf course conditions, and particularly the putting green.
We have studied artificial golf green materials and have looked at miniature golf facilities, putting mats and the like. We have compared our observations of such materials with our observations of actual putting greens. We have discovered that many of the artificial mats closely simulate the actual putting greens on golf courses, with one exception. That exception is that on actual golf course putting greens, no matter how level, there are very small undulations or irregularities on the surface due to many causes, including the effect of persons walking on the surface, balls hitting the surface after an approach shot, and the like.
We have now conceived and developed a means and method for simulating the minor undulations and irregularities of natural putting green surfaces. We do this by preparing a grid on the bottom of the putting mats and inserting a number of small pegs into the grid pattern in such manner that we create the minor undulations and irregularities found on actual golf course putting greens.
By the use our special mats a golfer can take short chip shots from, or adjacent to, one mat, or another location, to one or more mats simulating sloping or level greens. The golfer can then putt on such simulated green until the ball falls into a hole simulating the golf green cup.
We have devised a unique scoring system for use with this game including scoring devices which can be used to accurately measure positions of balls on the mats and to provide a unique scoring arrangement.
We have, also, provided a unique score keeping mechanism.
It is an object of this invention to provide an entertaining game during the play of which golfers may practice shipping and putting;
Another object of this invention is to provide such a game wherein the game may be played indoors or outdoors;
A further object of this invention is to provide a game as described wherein the game may be played over different lengths of a simulated portion of a golf course;
Still another object of this invention is to provide an artificial golf putting green surface have irregularities or undulations similar to those found on a natural golf course putting green.